First up is Nina – the girl behind Smaracuja, a travel blog that is nothing short of a hub of creativity! Given her expertise in both writing and the (slightly underestimated) art of doodling, we felt she was the perfect partner to team up with and revolutionize the way our hotel helps our guests experience Berlin. With more space to explore than is humanly possible, we wanted to give you a helping hand and make discovering this enormous city a little less complicated and a lot more fun!

Photo credit: Smaracuja

Have you ever asked for tips around town and received an avalanche of suggestions that take you another hour to sort through and pick your favorites? Those days are over! We are creating something that is about to make your exploring next to effortless! And who better to give you a sneak peek than Nina herself? So, we sat down with her and asked about her work, what inspires her and a if she could share a couple of her favorite spots in Berlin. Here’s what she said:

What inspires you, how did you come up with the concept for Smaracuja?

Travel inspires me the most. It gives me so much input regarding culture, colors, art. This can be an old run-down building, colorful products in a corner shop, a rough landscape, modernist architecture, a market or a comedy show. But even a walk in my Berlin neighborhood, an overheard conversation in my favorite café or a good book can be very inspiring. I just go with the flow and see were things lead me. Smaracuja has no specific concept and will probably never have. It just came about as I needed an outlet for my creativity, so it very much represents me, my interests and personality.

Photo credit: Smaracuja

How did your collaboration with The Circus come to life?

Katrin approached me because she found my illustrations on Instagram, read my travel blog and saw that I was based in Berlin, which was probably exactly what she was looking for the Berlin Guide project. We clicked instantly and had the same understanding of what the collaboration should be. We bounced ideas, looked at options and ultimately I said yes. I am super excited to be involved in this, as it is really rare that I get to combine my passion for travel and illustration in one project.

What are your favorite spots in Berlin, where do you go to experience the city’s uniqueness?

To be honest, because I am travelling so much, I tend to stay in my neighborhood when I’m in Berlin. I really should explore the city more often. My 3 favorite spots in Berlin (Neukölln) are:
– KINDL – this centre for contemporary art used to be a brewery, hosts changing exhibitions. Also there is urban gardening and a nice beer garden
– Tempelhofer Feld – I think this former airport now turned park couldn’t be more unique. I love it because it is the only place within the city where you can really look far without a building in the way. Also, it is great for skating, bbqs and star gazing.
– Böhmisch Rixdorf – There is a medieval village right in the middle of Neukölln, with hidden alleys, timbered houses, a smithy and the best Schnitzel you can get in town.

Photo credit: Smaracuja

The project is coming together nicely and will be fully „inaugurated“ with the reopening of the hotel (which is a topic we will discuss in one of our upcoming posts). So stay with us, there are a lot of exciting projects and collaborations in store and we’ll be letting you in on all of them! Until next time, stay safe, be well and we can’t wait to welcome you again soon and show you the Berlin we know and love!